Writers from overseas enjoyed looking at every aspect of American society, from its stage-coaches to its children to its poetry. The famous British magazine Punch ran cartoons about America; a Britisher wrote a book about it; and an American editor deplores the efforts of some Americans to imitate British ways.

Coats of Arms in America (Peterson's, 1872)

An editorial decrying the practice of using coats of arms on one's carriages and stationery in America - "in the very worst taste!"

Forms of Legal Documents (Collier's Cyclopedia, 1882)

This article includes forms for real estate sales, marriage licenses, business partnerships, deeds, wills, articles of separation and much more.

Children of All Nations: America, by Olive Logan (Little Folks, 1883)

Club Life in America (Century Magazine, 1883A)

"A club, properly speaking, consists of a certain number of men (in England, there are signs of the distinction of sex being swept away, and women been given the right of establishing and carrying on clubs; but of the questions suggested by this innovation, it is not necessary here to speak) - men of kindred tastes, habits, and social conditions, who desire to secure the 'comforts, without the responsibilities' of a home, at a moderate cost."

Law and Order Leagues (Century Magazine, 1883B)

We would probably call these "vigilante groups" today, but they were a popular means of enforcing the peace at the time.

A Gossip on the Recent Poetry of America, by Gleeson White (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

Includes some delightful examples of contemporary American poems.

A Full-Length Portrait of the United States, by Edward Eggleston (Century Magazine, 1889A)

A discussion of Britisher James Bryce's book, The American Commonwealth.

What Are Americans Doing in Art? by F.D. Millet (Century Magazine, 1892A)

A look at the revival of interest in art in the US.

The Great American Safety Valve, by Walter B. Hill (Century Magazine, 1892B)

"We are a nation of presidents" - On the notion that in America, anyone can be a "president" or officer of some sort of society or organization.

Punch and Cousin Jonathan, by M.H. Spielmann (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1896)

A look at some of Punch's cartoons about America.

A Suggested National Flower, by Gertrude Christian Fosdick (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

A suggestion to make the columbine the US national flower.

As Others See Us (Century Magazine, 1897A)

How America is portrayed in the foreign press.

• See also American Curiosities & Eccentricities